Shadowed Dawn
by Red5T65
Summary: Kiran summons Zelgius, who is thrilled to be able to reunite with the Priestess of Dawn, after the events of Radiant Dawn, which saw him slain at the hands of Ike. But how will Micaiah react to seeing him again? And perhaps more importantly, how will everyone else? Disclaimer: I do not in anyway own Fire Emblem and its characters.
1. 1-P: Reunited At Last

**A/N: So, after reading through a series of Micaiah x Zelgius/Black Knight oneshots, I became a devout shipper of the two. And that turned into a whole thing with Fire Emblem Heroes, which is this story! Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Kiran had just received a new supply of orbs, and was eager to spend them in order to summon more heroes to fight in for the Order. While at first he wasn't getting too much, only repeats of units he had summoned, and even then, they weren't very good, his luck eventually changed, thanks to the sudden unintentional intervention of Micaiah.

This intervention happened to be that as she was walking by the summoning stone, being lost in thought, she tripped and dropped her Thani tome. Kiran, startled by the noise, rushed to her side to help her up, but in doing so, he accidentally pulled Breidablik's trigger. The special summoning orbs shot out, as usual, but on their way, to him, they appeared to have gathered some energy from the presence of the tome in the summoning area. The orbs eventually struck the stone, and with a large puff of smoke, and a much brighter flash, a person appeared in front of the stone. A person wearing a distinctive black suit of armor, and carrying a massive sword.

* * *

Of course, the knight introduced himself as the Black Knight of Daein, and Micaiah, who had been up to that point simply frozen in shock, ran up to him with alarming speed, and pulled him into a powerful, loving embrace. She had ended up burying her face in the plates of his armor, and, weeping, she exclaimed, "Oh, Zelgius! You have no idea how much I missed you!" Zelgius, in turn, replied, "And I you, Priestess of Dawn. After the son of Gawain struck me down, my soul seemed to live on, and I could feel all your distress, all your grief. But no more of that. I am here, and that is all that matters. Although, that begs the question: what is this place that I have been brought to?" Kiran, realizing the question was most likely addressed to him, responded, "This is the Kingdom of Askr, Sir Zelgius. I won't lie, it's rather… interesting. In fact, I don't think you would have _been_ here, were it not for Micaiah's… intervention." Zelgius turned to face the Legendary Summoner of Askr, and asked the obvious question: "And what did it entail?" Kiran then explained what had happened in the minute before, and Zelgius seemed to lose a little bit of the stoicism he usually held firm. Glancing down at Micaiah, he said to her, "Yune herself blessed those orbs you enchanted, I'm sure of it." Micaiah nodded, but then she remembered that her tome was still in the circle. But before she could run to grab it, Zelgius used Alondite's massive blade to shuffle it towards her. "You need not strain yourself anymore. Whatever you need, I will attempt to provide." Micaiah would not stand for this, however, and replied, "I think that won't be too necessary. And besides, that works both ways, Zelgius." This statement confused Zelgius, until Micaiah explained, "If you are ever hurt in battle, I will be there to heal you. I promise." The knight immediately understood, and replied, "Very well, Micaiah. Although I suppose we made this oath already…" Micaiah shrugged. "Ah, yes, that fateful night when you appeared out of seemingly nowhere and swore to protect me or die trying." As they were saying this, Kiran cleared his throat. "Sorry to break up this reunion, but I _was_ trying to summon for the latest version of Ike that the orbs can bring." Micaiah froze. "Oh no…" Zelgius was, of course, very concerned seeing her completely frozen in fright. "What's wrong!?" he demanded, to which Micaiah replied, shakily, "D-did you n-not h-hear him? Th-that l-latest v-version is th-the only one who accepted y-you! All th-the oth-thers are f-from b-before!" With that, she promptly fainted, her mind having begun to run through all the possible scenarios, then deciding to shut down in response. Luckily, Zelgius caught her before any real harm could be done, and, after asking Kiran where the nearest infirmary was, he left.

* * *

 **A/N: And that's Zelgius getting in! But obvious problem: Kiran's probably not going to be able to summon the one Ike who accepted Zelgius, so there** _ **will**_ **be issues. Can the Black Knight and the Priestess of Dawn find a way to make the other Ikes know tolerance? Well, that's the question, isn't it? That won't happen until much later.**


	2. 1-1: In Transit

**A/N: Now, obviously, very few knew about Micaiah's relationship with Zelgius, even from Tellius. This means he's probably going to get a few weird looks from anyone who doesn't understand them. Which is, of course, a lot.**

* * *

As Zelgius raced through the halls, Micaiah's body slumped over his left shoulder, he passed a number of the heroes summoned by Kiran. Most had not stopped him, giving his armor's imposing presence, but a few did. One such example was Ryoma. "Who are you!?" the crown prince of Hoshido demanded of him. Instead of answering, Zelgius attempted to pass, but Ryoma blocked his way, Raijinto in hand, clearly ready to duel. Then he asked some more questions: "What are you doing with Micaiah!? Where are you taking her!?" Zelgius finally conceded, and replied, angrily, "What am _I_ doing!? I am helping her! So step aside at once so I can get her to an infirmary!" When Ryoma didn't obey, Zelgius said nothing, merely unsheathing Alondite. Ryoma then prepared to strike, but Zelgius simply slammed the samurai away with the flat of Alondite's very heavy blade. "I said to move aside. If you attempt to bar my path once more, I will not hesitate to strike you. And I am positive that you don't want that." With that, he resumed his mad dash to the infirmary, leaving Ryoma crumpled on the ground.

* * *

Unfortunately, Zelgius' troubles did not end there, for a certain Ylissean barred his way again. "I normally am a very polite and understanding person, and I apologize for this intrusion. However, I do ask that you unhand Micaiah at once. I believe she would be in safer hands with me." This affront to Zelgius' surprisingly chivalrous nature thoroughly angered him again, and he began to lash out at Frederick. "Safer hands with _you!?_ I have saved her life _countless_ times, and not for any reason other than I _care_ about her! So _move aside_ , or I will attack you. And I never hold back." This led Frederick to adopt a more combat-ready stance, clearly poised to strike at him with a lance he almost always had on hand. Zelgius merely laughed at the attempt, and then stated simply, "I will not engage in a proper duel with someone like yourself. That honor is reserved for one person alone: Ike, son of Gawain." With that, he used his bulkier armor and Alondite's weight to knock Frederick away, before once again resuming his trek.

* * *

Eventually, he reached one of the castle's infirmaries, where he left Micaiah in the care of none other than Ike's sister, Mist. The young cleric was understandably rather startled at his sudden appearance, as well as more than a little scared, but after recognizing he was doing all this to help Micaiah, she agreed to help, and within no time at all Micaiah was awake once more, and no longer suffering from particularly strong mental trauma. She immediately proceeded to hug Mist, and then asked Zelgius what had happened. Before he could respond, Frederick limped in, muttering something about, "Never… again…" But before he laid down on a cot, he noticed that Zelgius was in the room. "I'm… sorry… for doubting… your… intentions…. I just… jumped to… an incorrect… conclusion." Zelgius only nodded in acknowledgement, but then Micaiah, who had been at that point leaning on him for support, immediately took a step back and smacked him lightly with a heal staff, before looking more disappointed in him than he thought possible. "What is with this sudden change of heart? I did not expect this much scorn from someone as pure as yourself." Micaiah groaned. "Did you really have to hit him that hard?" Zelgius, in a very out of character moment, actually _stammered_ out his response: "W-well, n-no, but…" Micaiah narrowed her eyes. "But _what?_ " Zelgius proceeded to tell a reasonable lie. "He had thought I was taking you away for some _other_ reason. An… _unsavory_ reason. Unfortunately for him, that led to… this." Micaiah, however, saw through this ruse, and probed further. "That's not it, and I know it. Did he offend your honor? Because if so, please get off that nonexistent high horse you have been riding." Zelgius conceded. "Yes, he did. Though you should be grateful for the fact I did not decide to duel him, as he seemed to be preparing for such an event. Who knows what would've happened then." Micaiah shrugged. "I suppose. But again, try not to overreact the next time this happens? Please?" Zelgius nodded. "If the Priestess of Dawn commands it, I shall obey her order without question. Now, do you mind showing me around?" With that, Micaiah took his hand, and the two left to explore the castle, as she felt it was high time they did so.

* * *

 **A/N: Inb4 people say these chapters are short: Hopefully they get longer as this story goes on? Honestly, I'm not sure. But I guess I'll chalk it up to there just not much going on yet. Zelgius needs to interact more for that to happen. Don't worry, I'll get him to socialize. I swear it. (Or rather, I'll write it so that Kiran does)**


	3. 1-2: Getting Out For Once

**A/N: So, Zelgius is a bit of a loner. Actually, scratch that, aside from being obsessed with the Greil family tree, it's his main trait. So it's up to Micaiah to introduce him to people, and maybe, just maybe, he'll start doing it himself.**

* * *

When Micaiah and Zelgius had set off, Micaiah had made sure he knew exactly what they were getting into: she was going to introduce him to at least five other people from other worlds and try to strike up a conversation. He had agreed to this plan, if only because it was Micaiah, and he would never disobey her _ever_ , no matter what, and also, because she could be very forceful when she wanted to be. You didn't get to in command of the Dawn Brigade unless you knew how to lead, which she most certainly did.

The first person they crossed paths with was none other than the Hero King himself, Marth. Normally, Caeda could usually be seen with him at nearly all times, but she was off on a mission at the time. And so it was just Marth. "Ah, Micaiah! How has your day been? I presume you're feeling much better what with Sir Zelgius' arrival." Micaiah nodded. "Definitely. But I'm only here to ensure Zelgius makes actual friends besides me for once. Speaking of which…" she turned around, and noticed that Zelgius was attempting to walk away. "Zelgius, you are going to talk to people, or I will not hesitate to use Thani on you." To add to her threat, she pulled out a copy of the mighty light tome, and Zelgius immediately returned. "Very well. I'll leave you two to it for the time being. Zelgius, when I get back, you have to tell me one thing you learned about Marth that's _not_ in the numerous history books." Zelgius nodded, but before he could begin, Micaiah went up to him and, with a strong leap, she plucked his massive helmet off his head. Then she walked away. "Well, that was… interesting. I suppose we should probably start with some actual introductions. I'll start. I am General Zelgius of the Empire of Begnion, Earl of Kadohl, as well as the Black Knight, one of the Four Riders of Daein. And you are?" Marth cleared his throat, then began: "I am Emperor Marth Lowell of Archanea, King of Altea and Talys, Wielder of Falchion, and Bearer of the Binding Shield, or, as some call it, the Fire Emblem." Zelgius nodded, but upon realizing what Marth had said about the Binding Shield, he grew curious, and probed a little further. "I assume the sword at your side is Falchion, but that shield, the Fire Emblem, is interesting. In the land I hail from, there is an object we sometimes refer to as the Fire Emblem: it is a medallion, created by the Heron Lehran, used to seal away the goddess Yune." Marth, after processing the information, said simply, "I see." This nonchalant response confused Zelgius, and he asked, "Does this not surprise you?" Marth shook his head. "No, not at all. You see, many people from many worlds have been brought here, though there seems to be a few things all worlds have in common: legendary weapons, and an object that has been referred to as the Fire Emblem." Zelgius, now understanding the situation, then said, "Well, if you are talking about legendary weapons, it would be criminal to not mention Ragnell and Alondite." Marth, not recognizing the names, asked who they belonged to. "Ike, son of Gawain, or as you most likely know him, Greil, wields Ragnell. I wield Alondite. They could be considered twins, in a sense." Marth glanced at Alondite, and commented, "I can see the resemblance. The hilts are nearly identical. Though, speaking of legendary weapons, Falchion seems to have taken many forms over the millenia. Alm, king of Valentia, wields a form similar to my own, though my descendants wield a variant that is much different in appearance. When you meet them, you will most certainly notice the difference. However, this Falchion, the one I wield, is the original. And I will admit, I take a lot more pride in that than I probably should." Suddenly, Marth froze, then clapped a hand over his mouth. In a nearly inaudible whisper, he asked, "Did I actually just say that? Oh no. I've never admitted that to anyone! Ah!" Before Zelgius could reply, Marth ran off.

* * *

With Marth nowhere to be seen, Zelgius reasoned that he should probably find someone, if only to ask them for a map of the castle. And so he began to roam the halls. It didn't take long at all to find someone else. Upon looking at this person, he thought to himself, _I see the tradition of underage girls becoming mages is consistent across the astral plane._ After realizing some other implications of that thought, he shook it out of his head, and tapping the young mage on the shoulder, he asked, "Excuse me, child, but could you-" Upon being within Zelgius' imposing presence, the girl shrieked in alarm. "Ah! Who're you!?" Zelgius, now feeling rather sheepish, replied, "Apologies. I am Zelgius. Who might you be?" The girl replied, "I'm Nino! Pleased to meet you, uh…" "Zelgius. Zel-gi-us." "Zelgius! There we go! Anyway, do you need help with something? Grown-ups normally don't ask kids like me for stuff, but I'll do my best!" _She's very enthusiastic, I must say._ "As a matter of fact, I do. Do you happen to know where Micaiah's chambers would be?" Nino nodded. "Yeah! I hang out there sometimes! She helps me practice my magic so I can always do my very best! Just go up to the second floor using the stairs down the hall and turn left. Her name's on the door." "Thank you, Nino. I'll be sure to tell her how much help you've been." With that, Zelgius found the stairs, and, after a little searching, found the door with the name 'Micaiah' on it. He knocked.

"Zelgius, is that you?" Micaiah called from inside. "Yes." came the curt reply. "Did you learn a fact about Marth?" she asked, and Zelgius replied, "Yes, and you'll find it interesting: He takes much pride in having the original Falchion, not some other copy." Micaiah was a bit stunned at this revelation. "I didn't know that! Come in!" With that, Zelgius opened the door, and as he did so, he recounted what had happened after Marth had run off. When he was finished, Micaiah smiled warmly. "I learned how to bake from some of the other heroes. Guess who's getting cookies next time they come for a magic session!" Zelgius laughed. "Could I possibly get one, if you are making them?" Micaiah shook her head, giggling at the prospect. "No. If you want gifts from me, you have to talk to three more people. _Then_ I'll consider it." Zelgius groaned. "Do I actually _have_ to?" Micaiah rolled her eyes. "Yes! Now stop acting like a spoiled brat and go do it! Or else I'll have the Summoner put your room all the way on the other end of the castle." Zelgius gasped. "You wouldn't _dare!_ Do you wish to face my blade!?" Micaiah smirked. "I would. Now leave this room already before I blind you!" Zelgius sighed. "Yes, _mother_." With that, he finally left the room to finish his task. But as he did, Micaiah suddenly realized what he had said, and threw a Thani tome at his head in response. It connected, as expected, and Zelgius left as fast as his weighed-down legs could carry him.

* * *

Eventually, Zelgius found himself outside in the castle courtyard, where he could see a few other people milling about. He debated as to whether or not trying to strike up a conversation would work with them, but for most of them, it didn't seem worth it, since they were already interacting with someone else, and years of military service and life as an earl of Begnion had trained him to maintain a high level of respect. However, there was one person by themselves, training with a massive axe in one of the sections connected to the armory. Zelgius decided that this person was to be the person he talked to, no matter what it took.

And so it was that Zelgius walked up to the man in bulky dark blue armor, wielding an axe that seemed imbued with an ancient power. "Hey, what's up?" the man asked, interrupting his train of thought. "Name's Hector, and I'm the Marquess of Ostia, and wielder of the legendary axe-" he swung it for emphasis, "-Armads. Who're you?" Clearing his throat, he said, "I am General Zelgius of Begnion, Earl of Kadohl, and one of the Four Riders of Daein, as well as the wielder of the legendary blade Alondite. Pleasure to make your acquaintance." Hector laughed. "That's a lie and we know it. Who put you up to this? You don't seem like the type of person to do this yourself." Zelgius sighed. "No, no I am not. It was a close friend of mine. Do you know Micaiah, by any chance?" Hector stroked his chin in thought, then nodded. "She's the girl with that crazy light tome, right? The one with the silvery white hair?" Zelgius pinched the bridge of his nose, not believing what he was hearing. It took most of his strength to not simply just unsheathe his blade right then and there and challenge Hector to a duel. "Yes. You would do well to learn a bit more respect. She is the current Queen of Daein, I believe, and she has a goddess with her at all times." Hector cut Zelgius off there. "Is it the bird?" Zelgius nodded. "Yes, it is the bird." "I knew it!" Hector shouted, pumping his fist. But suddenly his expression shifted, and he asked, "So, are you two in a relationship? Not the whole 'queen vs subject' or 'knight and teenage girl' type thing, but _even closer_ than that?" Zelgius flushed bright red. "You are, aren't you!? Alright, so how'd it start?" Zelgius groaned. _I am not going to be able to escape this, will I?_ "It started when she was leading her Dawn Brigade in an offensive against the Begnion force occupying Daein. She had gone in alone for whatever reason, and was about to be struck down, when I appeared from the shadows and stopped the general attempting to cleave her in two with a broadsword. It very nearly ended with me finally being slain at the hands of Ike, but I was summoned here before I could truly pass on, I suppose." Hector nodded. "Alright, so out of the two of you, which one is more smitten with the other one?" Zelgius shrugged. "I wouldn't be able to tell you. You'll need an outside opinion for that, like Queen Elincia of Crimea." Hector began to sulk after hearing Zelgius' answer, and said, "Well, I guess I'll go find Micaiah then and ask her!" Zelgius paled. Then, inhaling, he bellowed, " _ **ABSOLUTELY NOT!**_ I will _NEVER_ let Micaiah's dignity be sacrificed in such a way, unless it is by _my_ words, and _MY WORDS_ alone!" Hector burst into a fit of laughter, at this response, and promptly left to find something else to do so that he didn't make himself explode by laughing too hard. _Why did you subject me to this_ horror!? _Why, Micaiah, why!?_ Zelgius moaned internally, before heading off to find someone else to talk to. Hopefully someone not as embarrassing as Hector.

* * *

It had not even been ten minutes when out of nowhere, someone barrelled into Zelgius at full speed, before promptly flopping to the floor, (running headfirst into a hardened steel suit of heavy armor will do that to you) leaving Zelgius in shock. He glanced down at the person before him, and saw that he was a rather slender, well-built man, with dark grey hair, who appeared to be a dancer of some sort. Why this was, Zelgius did not know, but before he could do anything about this man in front of him, a young redheaded woman tapped him on the arm. Looking up, he asked, "Excuse me, miss. Do you know this man? He was running from something and ended up knocking himself out after running into me." The woman's face, already a little puffed out from running, puffed out into a full-blown pout. "It pains me to say it, but yes. I do. That's Inigo, or Laslow, depending on who you ask. I'm Severa, or Selena, also depending on who you ask. Anyway, he was running from _me_ because he tried flirting with me _again,_ even though it literally _never_ works. I'm not even sure why he bothers anymore." By that point, Inigo had came to, and was attempting to at the very least sit up. "Ow…" he groaned, before noticing Zelgius standing in front of him. "AH! Who are you!?" Zelgius was about to answer, when Severa stepped on Inigo's chest, pinning him to the ground. "Oh come on, Sev! Really?" Severa ignored him, foot planted firmly on his ribs. Then, turning to Zelgius, she asked, "OK, but really. Who _are_ you?" Zelgius went through his whole introductory statement, then added, "I noticed that Inigo's general figure is remarkably more lithe than I would expect from someone who looks like they've seen the field of battle often enough. Why is this?" Inigo, from his position on the floor, replied, "Oh, that's because my mother's a dancer, and I learned from her. It's a useful skill to have. Impresses the ladies too." Zelgius narrowed his eyes. "It does not seemed to have worked on Severa at all." Inigo shrugged. "Well, Sev's like that. The summoner says that one of the nations back in his world has a word for her personality: tsundere." Zelgius raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And what does that entail?" Before Severa could stop Inigo from spouting off the definition, he suddenly sprang up, knocking her off-balance and tipping her over, and she landed hard on her butt. "Dammit Inigo! Why do I always fall for that…" she muttered, while Inigo explained. "So, a tsundere is someone who on the outside is uninviting and generally hates most people, but on the inside, actually really likes someone a lot. I don't know who that person is in Sev's case, but I flirt with her anyway because she always reacts in ways that are admittedly pretty cute." Upon hearing this, Severa got back on her feet and shoved Inigo, before muttering, "Womanizing prick…" By this point, Zelgius had decided enough was enough, and asked Inigo, "Exactly when did you start flirting with others so much? And why don't you stop? It clearly annoys them." Inigo replied, "Well, my mom's always been shy, and I inherited that, so to help, she suggested that I try talking to girls more often. I guess through a combination of hormones, dancing lessons, and swordplay that turned into… this. Whatever 'this' is." Zelgius nodded. "I see. I would advise that you tone it down somewhat. A little flirting is fine, in fact it can be useful sometimes. But what you're doing is… excessive." With that, he turned on his heel and walked away, leaving Inigo and Severa to ponder his statement (but not before Inigo made another flirtatious comment, and bolted, beginning the chase once more)

* * *

 **A/N: If you're wondering about the character interactions Zelgius is having, they're off the top of my head. I have no idea who he's going to meet, but I'm up for suggestions! So please review with people you think Zelgius should try talking to!**


	4. 1-3: Saving the Light

**A/N: So I think we can all agree that Zelgius is overprotective of Micaiah. I just took that concept and** _ **ran**_ **with it. This one's gonna be angsty, just a heads-up!**

* * *

Zelgius had long since left, and, realizing he had already talked 5 people, returned to Micaiah's room, only to find a note on her door, stuck to it with the strange substance Kiran referred to as tape. Zelgius pulled the note off, and read through it. It said:

 _To whoever is reading this,_

 _I am currently unavailable at the moment. Apparently, Ashera has been sighted in this world, and I have been selected as part of the team that will stop her. Please contact Kiran if you want more information. With me is the youngest Ike, Alm, and the Lyn who acquainted herself more with the bow than the blade._

 _-Micaiah_

It took Zelgius the better part of a minute to process this information. When he did, he became more than furious, and he tore up the note in frustration. _I remember Ashera blessing my armor so that it would be untouchable! I don't believe this Ike has Ragnell yet, either… they don't stand a chance!_ Micaiah _will be obliterated! Curse you, summoner! You will_ pay _for this!_ His mind was made up: He was going to find Kiran and punish him for subjecting Micaiah to this.

* * *

It didn't take him very long to find Kiran, and when he did, he grabbed the not particularly well-built man and began to throttle him. "What… are you… doing, Zelgius!?" he demanded. Zelgius glared at him. " _You_ sent Micaiah on a _suicide_ mission! _WITHOUT MY APPROVAL!_ She is going to be annihilated! And don't give me the 'but I sent Ike with her!' excuse, because I don't believe _that_ Ike _has_ Ragnell yet!" Kiran, now slowly turning blue in the face, made a few more pathetic attempts to get free, but Zelgius' grip was too strong. Eventually, he conceded, but not before his friend, and the other summoner, Eclat showed up. Kiran was dropped on the floor, and he laid there while Zelgius turned to face Eclat. "Who are you?" he demanded, and Eclat told him. "Who told Micaiah she was to go on that mission? Was it you or Kiran?" Eclat froze. "H-how did y-you find out?" Zelgius told her about the note. Eclat glanced down at her feet, defeated. "Well, if you want to know… it was me. Kiran actually wanted _you_ to go, but I said no. And no one else was willing, except for her." Zelgius glared at her. "And _why_ did you say no?" Eclat gulped. "I thought that since Ashera had blessed your armor, you wouldn't stand a chance, since she could just remove that invulnerability and delete you from existence." "And why would Micaiah be any different?" Zelgius countered, and Eclat stopped, at a loss for words. By this point, Zelgius' anger was already back to where it was when he'd first seen the note, and, not having anyone else to properly take it out on, nor anyone else who'd really make sense as a target, he unsheathed Alondite and charged.

Eclat, too stunned to realize what was happening, froze in place, which made her an incredibly easy target. She could've very easily been cleaved in two by Alondite, were it not for the fact that Kiran had woken up. He lunged for Breidablik, and, loading it with orbs, he fired, hoping that the magical energy might be enough to at the very least immobilize Zelgius for a short while. And the plan worked. Zelgius dropped to the ground, in front of an unconscious Eclat, the latter having fainted from fright (no one expects a man in jet-black armor to come charging full-force at them with a broadsword) Kiran gently hoisted her up, and carried her to an infirmary, more specifically, the one on the other side of the castle.

* * *

When Zelgius managed to pull himself up, he was _livid._ He decided he was going to find Micaiah _himself_ if he had to, and take her place in fighting Ashera. But that meant figuring out where she'd went, which presented a problem. _Ashera will most certainly be in Tellius, as I've heard of a strange rule that says gods have no power in different worlds, and most likely she will be in the tower built in her name. But how would I get there?_ He pondered this question for a while, before remembering that the Anna family had control of most Outrealm portals, of which Askr was full of them. And so he went to find Anna.

* * *

He found the merchant doing her thing, selling her wares to anyone she could. Walking into her shop, he said, "Do you mind opening an Outrealm gate for me?" Anna looked up at the marshall in the black armor. "Sure. But where to?" Zelgius thought for a moment, before replying, "The top floor of the Tower of Ashera. I assume you can do that?" Anna shrugged. "I don't know… but if you pay me a lot, I'll consider it. How does 10,000 gold sound?" Zelgius went wide-eyed. "T-ten _thousand!?_ Are you _mad, woman!?_ " Anna scoffed. "What? No! Look, Outrealm gates are finicky as is, and what you're asking is for me to open one at the closest point to the most powerful goddess of your world. I think 10,000 is _underselling_ it!" Zelgius groaned. "I can see your point. Here." He took out the special card Kiran had given him, that supposedly could take out money from any account he had and spend it anywhere with the right technology. Swiping it in the correct slot, Anna deducted 10,000, and after signing his name, it was done, and the Outrealm gate was open. "Here you go, one Outrealm gate to the Tower of Ashera! Step right inside, and remember: We're not liable for any injuries you sustain in the Outrealm!" Zelgius rolled his eyes, and stepped into the bright blue light.

* * *

The portal spit him out exactly where he'd wanted it to: right behind Ashera. He could see the strike force that had been sent earlier was managing decently well, but he knew they'd need help taking down the goddess of order. It was help he was all too happy to provide, and he felt it deserved a speech. Clearing his throat, and boomed, "O mighty Ashera! I have come to you to free you from your torment, your insanity! Do not heed the others dealing with your troops! Only pay attention to _me_ , the one whose armor you blessed to be indestructible!" With that, he charged, and swung Alondite with all his might. He could hear Micaiah shouting something, most likely a warning or a cry of terror, but he paid it no mind. All there was in that moment was him, the goddess, and the sword he would use to cleave said goddess into many tiny pieces. At least, that was his admittedly not particularly thought-out plan.

The distraction worked, however, and he got a few very clean slashes in, and he seemed to have visibly hurt Ashera, to his surprise. However, the assault had left him exposed, but it didn't matter: Micaiah and the others had regained their bearings, and they raced in too. Lyn brought up the rear, firing off arrow after arrow at Ashera's minions, while Alm took down some of the ones that got a little too close. Ike raced towards Ashera, and Zelgius saw that the mercenary actually _did_ have Ragnell, which was a relief to him, and he saw the son of Greil slash at Ashera multiple times, and these attacks seemed to do the job. Finally, Micaiah opened up Thani, and, after chanting the incantation, held out her hand, and cast the mighty light spell, dropping down the characteristic glowing ball, which erupted into a column of light, as Thani did. For a few seconds, the room was almost too bright to see, but after the light had dissipated, Zelgius could see that Ashera was weakened to a massive extent. With a nod to Ike, he and the mercenary charged at Ashera from both sides, and they struck together, their twinned blades in sync with each other, before the final blow was landed by the two at the same time. Blue flames engulfed the area surrounding Ashera, and she evaporated into thin air. With this done, her minions retreated, as without the goddess's power, they were no match for the five.

* * *

With all that done, Micaiah ran up to Zelgius to see if he was badly wounded. When she saw he wasn't, she sighed in relief. "Zelgius, what exactly are you doing here?" she asked, after fully processing the day's events. Zelgius replied, "I was saving you from Ashera after Eclat and Kiran had you go in my place." Micaiah nodded. "I see. Well, I think we were fine without you! I distinctly remember beating Ashera the first time without your help, because you were… dead at the time." Zelgius blanched. "You took Ashera on, without me? I thought you had more common sense!" Micaiah sighed. "Did you miss the part where I said you were _dead_ ," she began, before, with a smirk, she said, "...or are you getting deaf in your old age?" Zelgius stood in shock for a few seconds before her words registered. Outraged, he raised Alondite, and swung it down.

Micaiah most likely would've been cleaved clean in half were it not for some quick thinking by Alm and Ike. The two rushed in, with Alm tackling Micaiah to the side, where Lyn was waiting to catch her before she was too badly hurt, while Ike dived in, and, using Ragnell, he locked blades with Zelgius. The maneuver worked, and to Zelgius's surprise, Ike had managed to knock him back a few feet, even with all his armor on. But then he realized what he had been trying to do. "Someone will _pay_ for forcing my blade against the Priestess of Dawn! I swear it!" The others said nothing, as statements like that usually came back to bite whoever said them, and never in the ways they expect them to.

* * *

With that mess cleared up, the heroes were given a portal back to the castle, with Zelgius holding Micaiah as close as his bulky armor allowed. At first, Micaiah had protested, but in the short amount of time they were drifting in the portal, she had slowly begun to doze off, and by the time they'd arrived, she was sound asleep, Zelgius carrying her bridal style as he stepped out of the portal. Ike couldn't help but laugh a little at the sight, but in his attempts at hiding it, all that came out were some very… _aggressive_ snorts. Zelgius groaned, before returning Micaiah to her room so she could get some proper sleep after the tough battle.

* * *

 **A/N: I'm not dead! Yay! Anyway, how was this? I know Zelgius is probably out of character a lot, but protective instincts, man! You gotta abuse them when you can.**


End file.
